Star Citizen
| composer = Pedro Camacho Geoff Zanelli }} Star Citizen is an upcoming massively multiplayer, space trading and combat game developed and published by Chris Roberts' company Cloud Imperium Games for Microsoft Windows. Development of the game began in 2011, and is being mostly financed from a large crowdfunding campaign. The game was originally planned for a 2014 release, but significant delays in production and the expansion of gameplay features have led to postponement. Squadron 42, a single-player story driven game set in the same universe as Star Citizen, is also being developed. Both games have no set release date. Gameplay During the game's early development and funding, work was being conducted on separate modules, each with their own set of features and gameplay. Features from the three main modules were then combined into the Crusader module, which would serve as the platform for subsequent development. Hangar Module The Hangar Module was the first playable alpha component of Star Citizen, released on August 29, 2013. The hangar module allows players to view, manipulate, and modify ships in a realtime, closed environment. Also included are decorations and flair that can be placed and arranged within the hangar. Arena Commander Arena Commander was the second playable alpha component of Star Citizen, released on June 4, 2014''.'' It is an in-fiction space combat simulator allowing players to playtest ship combat against other players or AI opponents. According to the developers, it features a highly detailed ship flight model, simulating space flight using the mass of the ship and location and force of the thrusters. Other claimed features include realistic application of g-force on the pilot and a high level of visual fidelity. Racing and cooperative game modes were added in an update. Star Marine Star Marine is the first-person shooter element of Star Citizen; like Arena Commander, Star Marine is an in-fiction combat simulator, released on December 23, 2016. There are two ways to play Star Marine: one game mode is a 'capture-and-hold' game ('Last Stand'), where two opposing teams (the Marines and the Outlaws) each attempt to capture one or more 'control points' (Laptops) to gain points; as a team captures more control points, they gain points at a steadily increasing rate. 'Elimination' is a free-for-all 'last man standing' match; unlike the team-based 'Last Stand', players work individually to gain the highest kill-count before the match ends. Both game variants last for ten minutes or (in the case of 'Last Stand') until one team accrues the higher score. The first-person shooter mechanics are claimed to be relatively realistic, with armor levels, weapon stances and stamina effects manifesting as heavy breathing. Following the completion of the Kickstarter in 2013 , the development of Star Marine was contracted out to the third-party studio IllFonic; in August 2015, the contract was terminated and development of Star Marine returned to an in-house team at Cloud Imperium Games, finally releasing on December 23, 2016. Crusader Crusader, also known as the mini-persistent universe, is the name given to module released on December 11, 2015 and designated as Star Citizen Alpha 2.0 (all subsequent Alpha versions were additions and modifications to the Crusader module). This module combines the gameplay aspects of the Hangar, Arena Commander, and Star Marine modules into one multiplayer platform. This module allows players to freely navigate around a section of space centered around the ingame fictional planet of Crusader and its surrounding moons. Space stations, asteroids, and other points of interest in the play area allow players to interact, engage in combat, or conduct missions. Given the modular approach to development, the Crusader module will continue to have features added and expand into what will become known as Star Citizen. Development Star Citizen was announced in 2012 in a Kickstarter campaign as a spiritual successor to Robert's previous games, the ''Wing Commander'' series and ''Freelancer''. The initial estimated target release date during the crowdfunding campaign was 2014, and has since been delayed repeatedly as the game grew in scale. Development started in 2011, initially using CryEngine 3 with plans to release for Microsoft Windows first, followed by a possible Linux port. The game was migrated to the Amazon Lumberyard engine in 2016. Star Citizen Switches Game Engines Four Years Into Development GameSpot, December 23, 2016 Star Citizen is being developed using a modular approach, with the first module, dubbed the "Hangar Module," released August 29, 2013. The Hangar Module allows backers of the project to explore their virtual ships from a first-person perspective. Arena Commander, the second module, was released on June 4, 2014. It allows players to test the ship combat and racing portion of the game against other players or AI opponents. Development on a first-person shooter component of the game, to be called Star Marine, was announced at PAX Australia 2014, promising features like artificial gravity and weightlessness. After a lengthy period of development, with multiple online publications reported it being cancelled, Star Marine was released at the end of 2016. The culmination of the development work on the separated modules was the December 11, 2015 release of Star Citizen Alpha 2.0, known as Crusader, or alternatively, the mini-persistent universe. This "mega-module" became the version to which future updates would build on. The game is produced in a distributed development process by Cloud Imperium Games and Foundry 42 with studios in Austin, Frankfurt, Santa Monica, Wilmslow and Derby in cooperation with Behaviour Interactive and formerly IllFonic. The games utilize the artificial intelligence system Kythera, developed by Moon Collider. Additional partners that are or have been working on the project include Crytek, CGBot, Rmory, The Imaginarium Studios, Turbulent, Virtuos, voidALPHA, Wyrmbyte, FaceWare Technologies, and Amazon. The developers also exchange knowledge and technology with Warhorse Studios, the creators of Kingdom Come: Deliverance. In March 2017, CIG announced Star Citizen would eventually use the Vulkan API and drop support for the DirectX 12 API to support Linux and pre-Windows 10 users. Version 3.0 of the Star Citizen alpha, which the developers have stated would be a major step in the development containing many of the promised features was announced on August 19, 2016 at Gamescom for a scheduled release in December 2016. It was then announced in October 2016 that it will be split into four smaller releases. Planned Features Star Citizen aims to combine multiple video game genres, including space, trading, flight combat simulation and first-person shooter, in a massively multiplayer online game. In a 2012 interview, lead developer Chris Roberts emphasized immersion: "The changes in the technology in the industry will allow me to do a much more immersive experience. ... It's all about that suspension of disbelief." According to Roberts, players will complete objectives to gain currency used to buy, repair and upgrade their ships or to purchase items used in trade. The game will be set in a 30th-century Milky Way, centered on the fictional United Empire of Earth (UEE). A central theme of the game is citizenship – or lack thereof – in the UEE, which must be earned through player actions such as completing a period of military service. It is anticipated that citizens will enjoy certain in-game benefits, like paying a reduced tax rate, but the exact details are yet to be determined. In a 2014 interview, Chris Roberts highlighted the importance of player-driven content: "It's like a sandbox for everybody, and occasionally you'll sprinkle in little bits of scripted content to give a bit of character, but you're letting a lot of the players generate the intrigue and the drama." In 2013, he described a non-player character-driven economy, where players could gradually take on a greater role over time. In accordance with the 50 million dollar stretch goal of the game's crowdfunding campaign, developers partnered with linguists to create distinctive fictional languages for the three most prominent alien races, the Banu, the Vanduul and the Xi'An. The game's first-person shooter mechanics are reported to be inspired by games such as Rainbow Six, ARMA, Counter-Strike and Killzone. MMO Persistent Universe The developers state that Star Citizen will continue to develop after commercial release via a combination of emergent gameplay generated by players and new content which will be developed by Cloud Imperium Games on an ongoing basis. Players and organizations will be able to own certain production nodes including factories and mines. Capital ships can be owned and operated by players. Select lawless planets and moons will feature ground-based combat using infantry style weapons and vehicles. Personal armaments can also be used to board disabled ships and stations. The developers state that players will not be separated by different game servers. A matchmaking and instancing mechanic will handle how players connect to each other. The developers plan to include a slider allowing players to determine their level of exposure to other players. Squadron 42 Squadron 42 is a story-based single-player campaign set in the Star Citizen fictional universe described by the developers as a "spiritual successor to Wing Commander". It was originally announced for release in 2014 during the Kickstarter campaign, but has been repeatedly delayed. Roberts claimed in an January 2017 interview that it would be released in 2017, and , the game's homepage shows 2017 release date. It is being developed by the Foundry 42 UK studio under the supervision of Chris Roberts' brother Erin, who had already worked with him on the "Wing Commander" series and led the production and development of titles like Privateer 2: The Darkening and Starlancer. The developers state that the interactive storyline centers on an elite military unit and involves the player character enlisting in the United Empire of Earth Navy, taking part in a campaign that starts with a large space battle. The player's actions will allow them to optionally achieve citizenship in the UEE and affect their status in the Star Citizen persistent universe, but neither of the two games has to be played in order to access the other. In addition to space combat simulation and first-person shooter elements, reported features include a conversation system that affects relationships with non-player pilots and an optional cooperative multiplayer mode. The game is planned to be released in multiple chapters, and according to the developers will be offering an estimated of 20 hours of gameplay for SQ42 Episode 1 with about 70 missions worth of game play, "Squadron 4''2 Episode Two: Behind Enemy Lines" and "Episode 3," will launch later. The cast for ''Squadron 42 includes Gary Oldman, Mark Hamill, Gillian Anderson, Mark Strong, Liam Cunningham, and Andy Serkis amongst others. Funding The developers of Star Citizen began crowdfunding in 2012, on their own website and Kickstarter. Funding quickly surpassed initial target goals and subsequently additional stretch goals have been added to the funding campaign, most promising more or expanded content at release. Stretch goals included: * numerous new ships unlocked; * 100 star systems available on release for players to explore; * a galactic public transportation system; * a salvage mechanic, with its own story tie-ins and universe-shaping endgames; * procedural generation and motion-capture technology; * an independent arbitrator's guild for settling disputes between players; * expanded roles for AI characters; and, * various perks for backers, like cosmetic awards and secret star systems. Most of these stretch goals have not yet been delivered. After the initial campaign, funding has continued through the game's website. The developers of Star Citizen raise money through pre-sale of: * starter packages, which include access to the game client and a starter ship, for $45; * a wide variety of spacecraft, ranging in price from $45 to $2,500; * packages of spacecraft, such as the "Completionist" package for $15,000; * upgrades for previously-purchased ships; * virtual certificates to claim parcels of land in the game for $50 and $100; * subscriptions to online content, for $10-$20 per month, including videos, a monthly magazine, and perks; * in-game cosmetic upgrades and currency; * pre-orders for Squadron 42; * branded merchandise and gift cards; and, * tickets to real-world events, such as "Citizencon." In November 2017 the developers started to sell what are called Land Claim Licenses . Funding Milestones On November 17, 2012, two days before campaign closure, the game achieved the record for highest crowdfunded game project with over . At initial pledge campaign end, the total pledge amount was above all goals initially set by Cloud Imperium Games and reached . In mid-2013, with raised in less than a year, Star Citizen became the "most-funded crowdfunding project anywhere". In 2014, Guinness World Records listed the sum of pledged on Star Citizen's website as the "largest single amount ever raised via crowdsourcing". During the 2014 Gamescom event on August 15, Chris Roberts announced the crowdfunding campaign had surpassed . On May 19, 2017, crowdfunding surpassed $150 million. In January 2017, when asked about the financial situation of Star Citizen, Chris Roberts said: "I’m not worried, because even if no money came in, we would have sufficient funds to complete Squadron 42. The revenue from this could in-turn be used for the completion of Star Citizen." For contributing to the project's funding, backers receive virtual rewards in the form of tiered pledge packages, which include a spaceship and credits to buy additional equipment and to cover initial costs in the virtual economy, like fuel and rental fees, but according to the developers, players will be able to earn all backer rewards in the game itself, with the exception of certain cosmetic items and Lifetime Insurance (LTI), without having to spend additional money. Reception In a Polygon opinion article, Charlie Hall compared Star Citizen to No Man's Sky and Elite: Dangerous, writing that "Last time I checked, writ large Star Citizen was a hope wrapped inside a dream buried inside a few layers of controversy", while stating that each game has something different to offer within the space sim genre. PC Gamer writer Luke Winkie also compared Star Citizen to No Man's Sky, describing Star Citizen as "the other super ambitious, controversial space sim on the horizon", and indicating that fans of the genre, disappointed in No Man's Sky were turning to the as-yet-unfinished Star Citizen, while sometimes expressing concerns should the latter fail to deliver. The game's developers have attracted criticism for continuing to raise funds enthusiastically while failing to meet project deadlines. From the outset, Chris Roberts, the game's lead developer, pledged to treat every customer with the same respect as a publisher. However, he has been late to disclose major events like an engine change and missed release estimates. The technical feasibility and the ability of the developers to produce the game has been called into question by game developer Derek Smart. In August 2015, he sent a demand letter to Cloud Imperium Games asking for accounting records of the firm, a release date, and a refund option for all backers no longer willing to support the game. CIG's co-founder and general counsel Ortwin Freyermuth characterized Smart's claims as "defamatory" and "entirely without merit". Awards On December 27, 2016, Star Citizen was the recipient of the Wired's Thanks for Nothing, Videogames: 2016 Vaporware Awards. Legal issues On December 12, 2017, CryTek, the developers of CryEngine, filed a lawsuit for copyright infringement and breach of contract in the United States District Court for the Central District of California Western Division against the developers of Star Citizen. See also * List of highest funded crowdfunding projects References External links * Category:Asteroid mining in fiction Category:Cooperative video games Category:Kickstarter-funded video games Category:Multiplayer and single-player video games Category:Multiplayer vehicle operation games Category:Open world video games Category:Science fiction video games Category:Space combat simulators Category:Space MMORPGs Category:Space trading and combat simulators Category:Upcoming video games Category:Video games developed in Canada Category:Video games developed in Germany Category:Video games developed in the United Kingdom Category:Video games developed in the United States Category:Video games that support Mantle Category:Video games using PhysX Category:Video games using procedural generation Category:Virtual economies Category:Windows games